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Philip Conneller

In Philip Conneller’s eight years with Casino.org, he has covered the gaming industry from Las Vegas to Macau and everything in between. He currently focuses his coverage on gaming law, white-collar crime, global money laundering, tribal gaming, politics, and regulation.

Philip was the original features editor for poker’s Bluff Magazine and editor for Bluff Europe, which he helped launch. His writing has also been featured in ESPN, Forbes, Time Out, The Sun, and The Daily Star, as well as iGaming Business, eGaming Review, and numerous other industry news and tech websites.

His news stories for Casino.org/news have been linked by The Washington Post, The Daily Mail, People Magazine, and Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, among many others.

Philip once won $20,000 with 7-2 off-suit. He has been reprimanded for unwittingly playing Elton John’s piano on two separate occasions on both sides of the Atlantic.

He became a writer because he is a lousy pianist.

Philip lives outside London with his wife and children, where he spends his time agonizing about Arsenal FC.

Contact Philip at philip.conneller@casino.org.

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Senior Reporter

Expert since 2018

4247 stories by Philip Conneller

Philippines Cockfight-Betting Market May be Suspended Over Mysterious Abductions
March 3, 2022

Philippines Cockfight-Betting Market May be Suspended Over Mysterious Abductions

Calls are growing in the Philippine legislature to suspend the newly regulated and taxed online cockfight-betting market amid the mysterious disappearance of 31 people connected to the industry. PhilStar Global reports that 23 senators have...

Written by Philip Conneller
Cambodia Police Cast Doubt on ‘Blood Slave’ Kidnap Claims
March 3, 2022

Cambodia Police Cast Doubt on ‘Blood Slave’ Kidnap Claims

A Chinese man who claimed he was trafficked to the Cambodian gambling hub Sihanoukville by a criminal gang and kept as a “blood slave” made the whole thing up, according to Cambodian authorities. Last month,...

Written by Philip Conneller
Macau Legend Gets New CEO, Chairmen After Levo Chan Arrest
March 2, 2022

Macau Legend Gets New CEO, Chairmen After Levo Chan Arrest

Casino operator Macau Legend Development Ltd has appointed a new CEO. The news comes a month after its former CEO and chairman, Levo Chan, was arrested by Macau authorities for illegal gambling, money laundering, and...

Written by Philip Conneller
Poker Game Murder on Christmas Day Sees Sore Loser Get Life in Prison
March 2, 2022

Poker Game Murder on Christmas Day Sees Sore Loser Get Life in Prison

An Aurora, Colo. man who shot and killed a family friend over a Christmas Day poker game has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Earlier this month, Curtis Davis-Barnes, 38, was convicted by...

Written by Philip Conneller
New Mexico Horse Racing Regulator Faces Ethics Complaint from Racehorse Owners
March 1, 2022

New Mexico Horse Racing Regulator Faces Ethics Complaint from Racehorse Owners

A complaint filed by the New Mexico Horsemen’s Association (NMHA) accuses the state’s racing and gaming regulators of protecting private racetracks that allegedly siphoned off millions of dollars. The complaint was filed on Feb. 24...

Written by Philip Conneller
IGT Suit On Trump Era Wire Act Reversal Sees DOJ File Motion to Dismiss
March 1, 2022

IGT Suit On Trump Era Wire Act Reversal Sees DOJ File Motion to Dismiss

The US Department of Justice has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Rhode Island-based lottery provider IGT. It seeks to obliterate the Trump administration’s interpretation of the federal Wire Act. IGT sued...

Written by Philip Conneller
888 Fined £9.4M in UK for AML Failings, License Revocation Threat
March 1, 2022

888 Fined £9.4M in UK for AML Failings, License Revocation Threat

It could be a case of three strikes and you’re out for online gambling behemoth 888.com. On Tuesday, the UK gambling regulator (UKGC) announced it had fined the operator £9.4 million (US$12.6 million) for social...

Written by Philip Conneller
UFC Star Jon Jones Headbutts Police Car in Caesars Palace Arrest: Video
February 23, 2022

UFC Star Jon Jones Headbutts Police Car in Caesars Palace Arrest: Video

“That's going to be on YouTube tomorrow,” said a drunken Jon Jones, shortly after headbutting a police car outside Caesars Palace. https://youtu.be/7ejDXG4OcjY The UFC star was half-right. It took around five months. Police bodycam footage...

Written by Philip Conneller
Tioga Downs Project Was Rife with Minority Business Fraud, Says New York State
February 23, 2022

Tioga Downs Project Was Rife with Minority Business Fraud, Says New York State

Tioga Downs officials and contractors are accused of gaming the system during the harness racetrack’s redevelopment into a racino back in 2016. Officials at the upstate casino improperly claimed almost $3 million in MWBE utilization...

Written by Philip Conneller
Missouri Bill Wants Commercial Gaming in Lake of the Ozarks, Challenges Osage Tribe
February 22, 2022

Missouri Bill Wants Commercial Gaming in Lake of the Ozarks, Challenges Osage Tribe

A bill introduced to the Missouri legislature would ask voters to authorize casino gaming on or near the Osage River. That would pave the way for a commercial casino at the Lake of the Ozarks,...

Written by Philip Conneller